Covenant's Fall
by LordAnubis485
Summary: An alternate version of Season 4, beginning not long after Resurrection.
1. Prologue

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** An alternate version of Season 4, beginning not long after Resurrection. Everyone is still working at the CIA, and Sark is still in custody. Lauren is dead, and Sloane has gone back to Omnifam, where Nadia works as his personal secretary.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**A/N:** This is my first Alias fiction, so any constructive criticism would be welcome. Without any further ado, here it is.

**Prologue**

It looked like a scene from Dante's version of Hades, burnt bodies lying where they had been tossed by the force of the blast. Some dead, their necks broken or their bodies destroyed by the explosion. Others groaned, or limped through the wreckage, checking others for a pulse. Only the handful that had the presence of mind to duck behind their desks in the split second of warning that they had been given had come through unscathed.

And they now had their hands full. In the wake of the blast, a dozen figures in commando uniforms had pushed into the main building, herding the survivors before them. Eight remained there, holding them at gunpoint, while the others split into two groups and raced to their true objectives.

Two headed for the morgue. Once there, they split up, checking the numbers on the sealed refrigeration units against those that they had been given. They quickly found the one that they were looking for and opened it.

"This is it. Come on."

The other two had gone down into the belly of the building, to the cells and more importantly, their current occupant. Two quick bursts of gunfire and the guards were down.

Julian Sark looked up with a curious expression. "What took you so long?"

Back in the main area of the CIA facility, one of the intruders was bent over a computer terminal, typing frantically. Suddenly the screen flashed, and data moved across it, downloading to a secure server elsewhere. "I've got it."

Another two were in the process of setting up another bomb in the centre of the room, while the other five covered the hostages. The four that had been on separate missions now returned, two escorting Mr. Sark, who looked impossibly confident given his current clothing. The other two pushed a trolley, with a sheet disguising its contents. The leader nodded. "We have everything we came for. Time to go."

With a remarkable efficiency, the team left as rapidly as they had arrived. Soon, the only evidence that they had ever been there was the carnage in the Rotunda, Sark's empty cell, and an empty locker in the morgue.

Five minutes later, the night sky of Los Angeles lit up with a second fiery explosion, one that reduced the already damaged CIA facility to rubble.

In the van speeding away from the crime scene, the leader of the mercenaries removed the mask concealing her identity. Sark blinked in slight surprise at the face revealed to him. "So, is this an official operation? Or is it your attempt to gain a little personal revenge? I must say that you are the last person I expected to see breaking me out of my cell, especially after what I did to you, however indirectly."

The leader shook her head. "There will be time enough for revenge later. Time enough for all of us to have our vengeance."


	2. Chapter One

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** An alternate version of Season 4, beginning not long after Resurrection. Everyone is still working at the CIA, and Sark is still in custody. Lauren is dead, and Sloane has gone back to Omnifam, where Nadia works as his personal secretary.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**Chapter 1**

Sydney Bristow stood beside the burning wreckage that had once been the CIA's Los Angeles facility, and was now just a giant tomb for those who had been inside – many of whom she had known; some of them had been her friends. Michael Vaughn stepped up beside her, his face as stony as she imagined her own must be.

"They're still finding bodies in there. The count has risen to twenty seven now, most are still unidentified." He sighed, and rubbed at his face. "Sark is still unaccounted for. And we have no idea who did this, or why."

Sydney shook her head. "Unless we find him we should probably assume it was a plan to rescue him. Again."

"Syd. Syd!" Marcus Dixon approached them. "We have been found another building to occupy." A wry smile flickered across his face. "You won't guess where either."

Sydney stared at him. "Try me."

Half an hour later, Sydney stared with disbelief at the new CIA facility. "You have got to be kidding me."

Dixon shook his head. "I am afraid not."

They both stared around at what had once been the Los Angeles cell of SD-6. There was Marshall, occupying his old office. There was Jack Bristow, standing in the conference room, talking to Vaughn. There was only one missing from the old team at SD-6…

"Hello Sydney."

She closed her eyes. Speak of the Devil and he appears. Apparently that held true for thinking about him as well. Sydney turned around, willing it to not be who she knew it was.

There he was. Arvin Sloane, wearing the same suit that he had worn at SD-6, and with the same smug, condescending smile that she remembered so well spread across his face. He was flanked by Nadia, whose face was graced with a smile that was a mirror of her father's, except that if Arvin Sloane's smile suggested that he was so far above them that from his lofty height, they seemed like insects, Nadia's suggested that she knew something that no one else did. It was not a smile designed to inspire confidence in those who beheld it.

"Seeing you here, with Marshall, Marcus and Jack, it reminds me of the old days. You know, I sometimes miss those days, Sydney. Of course, those days are gone for ever. A pity."

Sydney had to restrain the urge to punch his teeth through to the back of his throat. Not only did Nadia accompany him, but they were followed by two of Sloane's security force. An attack would be foolish.

"What are you doing? You were supposed to have left by now." Dixon stepped forward, his face disapproving, perhaps trying to stop Sydney from attacking Sloane. He may have had his own issues with the former criminal mastermind, but Dixon was less likely to attack him.

"I have just been collecting the last of my property. This place used to belong to Omnifam. I have been overseeing the evacuation of all Omnifam personnel and equipment."

"That was not the agreement. You were to leave the equipment as it was."

"And I did. All the equipment here that was present at the destruction of SD-6 is still here. I have merely removed all of the computers and technology that we placed here. I am still within our agreement."

Sloane looked even smugger, if that was possible. "Ah well Marcus, I am sure that you will do the best with what you have here. And the CIA is more than capable of providing whatever you may need."

With that, he turned and left, with the two guards following him. Nadia gave Sydney a sweet smile, before accompanying her father out of the facility.

Sydney leaned over towards Dixon. "Would you mind reminding me of how Sloane got out of serving a prison sentence yet again?"

Dixon shook his head. "The CIA feels that Sloane never technically breached his agreement. He has accounted for all of his actions recently, and he continues to provide us with information on Covenant operations. Information that suggests that the Covenant had nothing to do with the attack yesterday."

"So who does he think did it?"

"Sloane provided intel that reveals Irina Derevko has been seen recruiting mercenaries. And she has been known to have links with Sark in the past."

"So has Sloane. So has the Covenant. Why would my mother go to such trouble to rescue Sark now?"

Dixon looked at her. "I don't know. However, your next mission is to find Irina Derevko and either bring her to justice, or, if it wasn't her, find out who really ordered this attack."

An undisclosed location:

McKenas Cole sat waiting. It was not something he made a habit of doing, preferring to be doing things rather than waiting, but when the head of the Covenant was expected to call, you waited. Just as the clock struck the hour, the telephone rang. Bang on time. Cole picked up the receiver.

"Cole."

He listened to what the person on the other end of the line said before responding.

"We are preparing for Phase 2 now. We have the artefact, and the technology is ready. We are just waiting for the test subject."

Cole smiled slightly at what his unseen chief said.

"No, it is in our hands. We are only waiting for it to be delivered. Then we will be one step closer to Rambaldi's endgame."


	3. Chaper Two

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** Sydney and Vaughn head off to find Irina, but old enemies haunt their steps. Alternate Season 4.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment. 

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**Chapter Two**

Back in their new, or rather old, offices, Dixon had begun to brief Sydney on what little they knew for sure about the whereabouts of Irina Derevko. Jack Bristow sat in the background, his face even more expressionless than ever, as Dixon elaborated on how best to go about capturing his wife. Vaughn merely looked thoughtful, his gaze fixed squarely on the wall about three inches above Dixon's head, and a little to the left.

"Sydney." Dixon's voice recalled her attention from where it had started to wander. "We have pictures of Derevko meeting with various terrorists, and known members of the Covenant. The most recent was Gerard Cuvee, former head of the People's Revolutionary Front. He is now believed to be the head of the Covenant cell in southern Asia."

Sydney was already shaking her head even before he had finished speaking. "Mum would not do that – she loathes Cuvee. She was also responsible for his loss of the Rambaldi artefact in Kashmir. They would never work together. Sloane is lying – providing false information."

Dixon sighed. "I wish that were true Syd, I really do, but we have independent confirmation of her meeting with Cuvee. Then, two days before the attack, there was a sighting of her just south of the border. And she was accompanied by the same number of men as attacked us. I am sorry, but unless you can come up with substantial evidence for another conclusion, the mission continues as planned. You will go to her last known whereabouts in Germany, find her, and bring her back for interrogation."

He stood up. "That's all." The others stood as well, and began to file out of the room. As Sydney made to follow them, Dixon grabbed her arm. "And Syd. Be careful."

Outside, Vaughn caught Sydney's eye. "We need to talk."

The Omnifam Building, Zurich:

Arvin Sloane stood at the window of his office, gazing out at the city below him. He enjoyed the feeling that he was above the bulk of the populace, that somehow, up here, he was closer to God. Over a quarter of a century spent in the pursuit of Rambaldi, over half his life and he still did not know everything that there was to know about the elusive figure. He was still in possession of far more knowledge than the CIA, even if they still held all of the artefacts formerly in his possession.

A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. "Yes?"

His daughter entered, and the pride that he always felt at the sight of her swept through him again, driving all thoughts of ancient prophets from his head for a brief moment. "Nadia, my dear, what can I do for you?"

Nadia had a grim look on her face. "Agents Bristow, Bristow and Vaughn are here. And they demanded to see you." Concern began to appear on her face. "None of them look forgiving. What do you want me to do?"

Arvin frowned. "Bring them up here. My dear, if they were here to arrest me, they would not be asking nicely. No, the attack on the Rotunda has stirred them all up. It is like kicking a wasps' nest – the inhabitants swarm. In a few days, they will have settled down again."

Nadia looked slightly relieved, but not entirely satisfied, as she left to fetch the CIA agents. A few moments later, they entered his inner sanctum, Jack flanking Sydney on the right, Agent Vaughn on the left. Sloane idly wondered what would happen when the two of them realised that there were only two chairs in front of his desk. Sydney would take one, of course, but who would take the other one? Jack steadfastly refused to look at Nadia who lurked behind the three of them, and Vaughn stared determinedly out of the window. Smirking, Sloane sat at his desk, and peered at them over steepled fingers.

"Well, what can I do for you today?"

"We need all the intel you have on Irina Derevko."

So Jack had been elected as the spokesman for the merry band. Sydney probably had decided that she was far too likely to try and kill him, and Agent Vaughn was still not entirely over the incident with his wife. Sloane had a certain amount of admiration for the regrettably deceased Lauren Reed, as managing to exist as a mole under Jack Bristow's nose for any amount of time was a worthy achievement, but to also get between Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow, well, even he himself and the Alliance had not been able to achieve that. It was a shame that he had never had the opportunity to congratulate her, and now he never would. Pity.

"I gave all of the information I had on her to the CIA Jack. Can you say the same? After all, you were the last person to have contact with her."

"I have not spoken or contacted Derevko for several months. Nor do I intend to do so again. We need to know where she is Arvin. I know that you know."

"As far as I know, she was seen entering Germany three days ago, and has not left. In particular, she was seen in Dresden, so I suggest that you try there." At this point the telephone rang. He glanced at the number displayed. "I am sorry Jack, but I need to take this call. Nadia, if you would be so kind as to show our guests out?"

Nadia nodded. "Of course."

As she shepherded the three out of his office, Sloane picked up the receiver. "Hello. Ah yes. Of course. Well, in that case, you chose the correct time to call, considering who just left my office."

Dresden:

With the name of the city with which to aid their search, it did not take long to narrow down the location the CIA had been searching for. Dixon sent Agents Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow to retrieve the target. Jack had argued at great length for his own participation, but Dixon had decided against it, officially because he felt Jack's talents would be better used in the field. No one openly spoke about the other possibility, or at least, not where Jack could hear.

In Dresden, Sydney and Vaughn made their way quietly towards the compound believed to be occupied by Irina. Sydney was the first to break the silence.

"I was thinking that maybe, when we get back, we could go and get a drink or something. After all, there isn't anything stopping us."

Vaughn stopped. He rubbed at his face and sighed. "Syd, I'd love to, really I would, but I can't." He saw the look on her face and hastened to quantify the statement. "There are some mornings, when I wake up and I see Lauren sitting opposite me, and…" His voice trailed off and he looked dejectedly at the ground.

A moment later, he looked back up. "I need to exorcise my ghosts before we can be like that again."

Sydney shook her head. "And how do you plan to do that?"

His voice was a whisper. "I wish I knew."

Lost in their own thoughts, they proceeded without further conversation. After a few minutes, they came to the entrance to the compound, which was small, with a central building, two stories high, surrounded by a thick wall. The gate loomed open before them, half torn from one hinge. Both agents snapped their guns up at the sound behind them, but there was nothing there.

They stood, tense, for a moment, before first Sydney then Vaughn lowered their guns. "Just a rat." Neither was sure whom the muttered comment was intended to reassure.

Inside the compound, there were no further signs of battle, no blood and no bodies. Only the battered gate gave mute testament to what they thought had happened there. Cautiously, they moved forward, towards the central building, before a throat being cleared behind them stopped them in their tracks.

"Agent Bristow and Mr. Vaughn. The pleasure, as always, is all mine."

Sark. Standing in the gateway, dressed as ever in one of his trademark Armani suits, and wearing his look of cool arrogance.

"I would suggest that you drop your guns."

Sydney stared at him. "Why should we?"

Sark did not answer in words, but merely gestured up, at the wall. The CIA agents followed his movement, and immediately wished that they had not. At least ten mercenaries levelled their guns at them, and the sound of more weapons being cocked echoed from the other sides of the compound. Resigned, Sydney dropped her weapon, and a moment later, Vaughn followed suit.

Moments later, they were bound, and dragged to a van, where Sark and three of his operatives watched them.

Sydney's curiosity got the better of her. "Where are you taking us Sark?"

"To meet with my employer. She regrets that she could not be here in person and looks forward to meeting you." He glanced at Vaughn. "Again."

"So you are working with my mother." Sydney slumped against the floor.

Sark only smirked, and ignored her. "We will be there soon Sydney. Time for you to rest."

Before either could protest, needles were stabbed into their necks and the world went black.

A/N: And the next chapter may be a little delayed due to outside complications. However, it will explain some of the mystery of the attack on the CIA, and reveal, for those who have not already guessed, Sark's current employer. With any luck, it will be up sometime next week, possibly in the middle. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter Three

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** Sydney and Vaughn head off to find Irina, but old enemies haunt their steps. Alternate Season 4.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment. 

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**Chapter Three**

Back in the bowels of the Credit Dauphine building, Eric Weiss appeared beside Jack Bristow as he signed yet another irrelevant memorandum.

"We need to talk."

"What about, Agent Weiss?"

"I have news. Do you want the good news first or the bad news?"

Weiss' smile faded rapidly under Jack's stony expression, and he held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. They've finished digging through the rubble of the Rotunda, including the detention cells."

Jack nodded. "What did they find?"

"No more dead officers. There was one body in the cells – Katya Derevko." Weiss' shoulders slumped. "No sign of Sark. As usual, the British guy escapes captivity and near certain death. I would really like to know how he does it."

Jack was unsurprised. "I expect that we will find him before long." He turned to go, and noted that Weiss looked uncomfortable. "Was there something else you had to tell me?"

Weiss leaned in closer. "They also finished digging through the rest of the Rotunda. When they had finished in the morgue, there were body parts everywhere. Someone had tried to disguise how many people were in there. But the diggers think that there is one missing." He lowered his voice. "Lauren."

Jack frowned. "What would Irina Derevko want with the body of a dead Covenant operative? And why extract Sark and leave Katya to die? Something is wrong here."

Before Weiss could answer, a shout came from what had been Sloane's office. "Jack!" Dixon stood in the door looking grim. "Could you come in here for a moment?"

"Certainly." He turned to Weiss. "Excuse me."

Weiss stopped him. "You should know that there is an unconfirmed report that a number of suitcase nukes and the corresponding activation codes were stolen from a Ukrainian facility yesterday. The Ukrainian government is denying it, but our source says that it was Covenant troops. There were no survivors."

"Jack." Dixon was looking somewhat impatient.

Jack looked back at Weiss. "I will tell Dixon."

And with that, he disappeared inside the office, followed by Dixon. Weiss watched for a moment, then shook his head and returned to his desk.

Michael Vaughn returned to consciousness slowly, the drug induced stupor yielding only slowly to the pleasant warmth spreading through his body. His vision, when he opened his eyes, was blurred, so that all he could discern of the figure that stood before him was the blonde hair. Vaughn recoiled, thinking that it was Lauren, back from the dead to torment him once more. He discovered that he could not move far, as he was chained upright to a concrete slab in the middle of the cell. The figure advanced on him, and he tried to move through solid concrete. Suddenly his vision swam into focus, revealing the figure to be not Lauren, but Sark, something that Vaughn considered to be only a minor improvement.

"Agent Vaughn." Sark's dry British tones cut through the remainder of the fog, clearing it from Vaughn's mind. The cell he was in was made of concrete, and featureless aside from the bars that comprised the door. The heavy shackles that bound him to the slab in the centre of the chamber reduced any notion of escape to an academic question, for the moment at least. Over Sark's shoulder, he could see Sydney, who was similarly restrained and also conscious.

In front of her stood the unmistakable figure of Irina Derevko. A guard stood on either side of the cell door. He could not see what Irina was holding in her hands, and what seemed to be the focus of Sydney's attention, as both her hands were in front of her body, blocking his line of sight. Sydney's expression was unreadable.

A polite cough brought his attention back to Sark. "I must say that your capture did not present much of a challenge Agent Vaughn. Skills slipping are they? Or is it just that the finely tuned instinct that saw Lauren for who and what she was so quickly just not working today?" He smirked at the anger on Vaughn's face. "You need not worry, Mr. Vaughn. My associate will be along later to converse with you. I am to leave you alone until then."

"Busy with her daughter is she?" Vaughn's gaze flicked from Sark to Irina and back again. "I always knew that you would end up clinging to Derevko's shadow again Sark."

Sark looked over his shoulder. "You might say that." He returned his gaze to Vaughn. "I stand in no one's shadow, Mr. Vaughn, and you would do well to remember that. After all, you are next."

Beyond Sark, Vaughn could see Derevko leaving Sydney's cell, and going down the corridor, escorted by the two guards. Vaughn couldn't help but think that there was something odd about her posture and the way the guards flanked her, but he could not put his finger on it. He returned his full attention to Sark, who was just leaving.

"I will leave you alive to contemplate your fate. You owe me a debt for Lauren's death, the only woman I ever loved, and I intend to collect on it." Sark let the silence linger for a moment. "In full."

"You never loved anyone Sark. You wouldn't know the meaning of the word."

Sark paused in the door, facing away from Vaughn. "And there, Mr. Vaughn, you are gravely mistaken." He exited the cell, and strode off down the corridor in the opposite direction to Derevko. A moment later, two guards followed him.

Vaughn sagged back in his chains and waited.

Later, after an interval that in the artificially lit cell could have been anything from hours to days, they came for Vaughn. Two guards unchained him and led him through the sterile facility until they came to a room that was as bare as his cell, except for a trio of chairs. He was pushed down into one of them, and chained to it. When Vaughn tried to move the chair, he found that it was bolted to the floor.

One of the other chairs was much the same as his. The other was an ornate chair that looked far more comfortable than his own.

The guards left, leaving Vaughn alone. He looked quickly at the chair, trying to find a weakness. Before he could, he heard the door opposite to the one through which he had been brought open.

Vaughn heard footsteps clicking on the concrete floor, then a chair being pulled back opposite his, then nothing. He risked a glance upwards. His eyes widened. This was much worse than he has ever expected.

"Hello Michael." Olivia Reed. His mother in law. The mother of the woman that he has shot. Vaughn slumped in his chair. He would probably be lucky if he lasted long enough for Sark to have a chance at. He was definitely going to die. If by some miracle he did get out alive, the first thing he was going to do was shoot Jack Bristow. Bring him closure, the man had said. If only.

A/N: Sorry about the delay, but as I suspected outside factors intervened. The next chapter is underway as I write, although it will mostly be exposition on Covenant history, with a little plot advancement on the side. In the chapter following, expect the return of McKenas Cole, and some Rambaldi fun. Not for Vaughn though...


	5. Chapter Four

And here we have the next chapter. Thank you all for your reviews.

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** Sydney and Vaughn head off to find Irina, but old enemies haunt their steps. Alternate Season 4.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**Chapter Four**

Olivia Reed stared at him. There was undisguised loathing in her eyes.

"You killed my daughter."

It was a statement, not a question.

Vaughn treated it as such, and did not respond.

Olivia stood up and began to pace. Chained to the chair as he was, Vaughn could not follow her movements past a certain point. "You know that I am going to kill you. And that, even if I did not, Mr. Sark would. I did not know that he and Lauren had grown so close, but it is gratifying that my daughter had some of the happiness that I was denied." Her voice sharpened. "And then you took it all away from her. Her honour, her dignity and finally her life. And for what? Closure? Absolution?"

Her voice rose in pitch. "I have killed more in the service of the Covenant and its goals than you have or ever will at the CIA. There is no such thing as forgiveness. Not in heaven or on earth. But at least I served a purpose beyond the preservation of the mindless obedience of the orders of your superiors, as did Lauren." She slumped back into her chair, and her voice dwindled to a whisper. "Before you killed her."

Vaughn stared at her. "But the Covenant has only existed for a few years. How can you have killed that many in such a short time?"

Olivia blinked. "How did Lauren manage to get killed by such a fool? The Covenant has existed longer than your pathetic country, and will endure long after it has fallen into dust." She waved away his objection. "The current form of the Covenant, with its cells and its terrorists is more recent, yes, but the core of the organisation is old beyond any other organisation save one that exists today."

"It began over seventeen hundred years ago. Alexander the Great destroyed many irreplaceable documents when he burned Persepolis. When the House of Sassan came to the throne of Persia, they knew that as much as possible must be saved. It was Kartir, mobed-e-mobedan under Shapur I, who first founded the Covenant. He started it to preserve knowledge, any knowledge."

She broke off, noticing Vaughn's puzzled look. "Mobed-e-mobedan was the chief priest of the Sassanid religion, better known as Zoroastrianism."

Vaughn nodded, wondering why Olivia was telling him this, and then realised that she probably felt that it would not matter. He would be dead before long, certainly before he could tell anyone.

"The Covenant continued throughout the reign of the Sassanids. It was made up of members of the Magi, the priests, who would go in search of knowledge, and bring it back to be recorded. However, in the early seventh century, the Muslims invaded. The Persian Empire collapsed into blood and fire, and the religion of Zarathustra was swept away. The Magi who formed the Covenant fled north, with as much as they could save from the destruction. In time, they came to what would become Russia."

Olivia saw Vaughn's moment of realisation. "Yes, and that is where the core of the Covenant has remained ever since. The Magi survivors integrated into Russian families, so as to preserve what they could of the glories of Persia. Gradually it declined, and all that was left was the knowledge. Each family preserved what it could, and added to it. They married their children into the nobility of other countries, to gain more, and more. Eventually the network spread across all Europe." She smiled proudly. "I can trace my descent back to one of the first members of the Covenant."

Her face darkened. "And then came Rambaldi. The Covenant first heard of his designs through a Cardinal sympathetic to the cause. He was invited to join us, an almost unheard of honour in those days. He refused. He did not want to be bound by our rules and restrictions on knowledge and its acquisition. He wanted to be free to build what he wished. And he did. Even today we have not found everything he built, nor do we expect to."

Vaughn looked at her. "He would not join, so you had him executed. Nice."

Olivia shook her head. "No, Rambaldi was executed by the Papacy, and his work scattered. Some of his papers and machines came to us, either directly or through the Medici. They were most helpful. Others were lost, including his more powerful devices. Through the years, we gathered all we could. I am told that it was difficult at times, for many rulers wished to wield the might that Rambaldi's creations could bestow. This continued until 1917. When revolution broke out in Russia, the Covenant originally supported the Tsar. Then Lenin gave us an ultimatum: support the Bolsheviks or be annihilated. The leadership of the time had no choice: they could not risk the destruction of their gathered knowledge. Hence Lazarey's opinion of us. He perceived it as a deliberate act of betrayal. They sent away what they could, and served the Communists as spies. That was how Stalin acquired the Rambaldi box. And so it went on for eighty years. Then the USSR disintegrated, and in the confusion, the Covenant vanished. The leaders decided that they must never be helpless again as they were before the Bolsheviks. So they split up the gathered knowledge. Some of it lies below us, in the vaults of this stronghold. They also allowed many former KGB to join us, and set up the origins of a network of legitimate businesses that would help to support us. It was but a short step from that to the cells and the terror."

Olivia laughed. "You believed that the terrorism was the Covenant's primary aim. For some it is. But the true purpose is the gathering of knowledge. There is an internal struggle in the Covenant now. The old families against the mercenaries and those who would use our knowledge for their own ends. The leadership favours the newcomers, for many of them are newcomers themselves."

Vaughn could not believe what he was hearing. "But why? If information is all that you are after, why the secrecy and the plots?"

"Information is a weapon like any other, Agent Vaughn. It can be used in a variety of ways. It has to be acquired in ways that are unpleasant. For centuries now we have focussed on finding Rambaldi's machines, because they represent the means to extend our reach. After all, information must be used. The Covenant's goal is to use it as Rambaldi himself intended. Of course that is a much debated issue among the leadership. Some believe one thing, some another. At the moment the more radical factions are in control. Lauren would have tipped the balance back in our direction. But now the time has come."

Olivia stepped in close to Vaughn. "You see, we have the means to Rambaldi's endgame in our hands. We found his hidden laboratory."

Vaughn knew that this could not be good. "And what was in Rambaldi's workshop?"

Olivia's face shone with transcendent joy. "The means to undo everything that you and the CIA, most notably Sydney Bristow, have conspired to put in our way. Il Rinato. Soon, Agent Michael Vaughn of the CIA, soon we will have it all."

CIA Temporary Headquarters:

"Agent Bristow, Agent Bristow!" Marshall ran up to Jack and Dixon as they stood outside his office.

"I've found them, Agents Vaughn and Bristow – Sydney I mean, because you are here, so how could you be there? You are not lost I mean."

Dixon sighed. "Marshall, where are they?"

"Ah, oh yes. Sark took them to a chartered plane, and I managed to hack the server of the company that own it. He took it to Central Africa. I have exact co-ordinates!"

Jack nodded. "I will assemble a team and get going."

Dixon and Marshall watched him go. "I wouldn't want to be the Covenant." Both men turned to see Weiss behind them.

Dixon agreed. "Any progress on finding those nukes, Agent Weiss?"

"Yes, half were sent to somewhere in Russia, the others to Central Africa."

Dixon sighed. "Tell Jack to watch out for them, he is to recover them if possible."

Covenant facility, Central Africa:

After his interrogation by Olivia Reed, Vaughn had been thrown back into his cell. When she had finished telling him about the Covenant, Olivia had begun a more traditional torture session, including knives and the same electrical device that Sark had used on him. Sark had watched for a while, before going off to finish setting up something.

An hour or two later, a pair of guards came for him again. This time he was not taken to an interrogation room, but to some sort of science facility. Waiting for him were Sark, Olivia, and a man Vaughn recognised as McKenas Cole, who he had thought to still be imprisoned. Vaughn was gagged and tied to a chair again, with a guard pointing a sub machine gun at his head.

One half of the large room was occupied by what Vaughn assumed was Il Rinato. A segmented sphere, its surface covered with glass tubes, made of some sort of metal, sat atop a base consisting of three arms that held the sphere in place. Various wires led from the sphere and its base to a variety of computers and electronic equipment.

The Covenant leaders took seats alongside Vaughn, with Sark the nearest. 

"Enjoy the show, Mr. Vaughn. I know that I will."

Meanwhile, Olivia and Cole were talking.

"It was good of you to approve this and then come all of this way to see it, McKenas."

Cole laughed. "It was my pleasure Olivia. It was a black day for the Covenant. It would be excellent to set that right, and it allows us to test Il Rinato. It was a golden opportunity." He reached out and kissed her hand mockingly. "Besides, how could I miss a chance to enjoy your company?"

The technicians were finished with their adjustments, and looked to Olivia for instructions. "Julian, I think that you should have the honour."

Sark stood and went over to the machine. "As you wish." He threw the main switch.

Green liquid began to flow through the tubes on the sphere. It rose until it floated between the tops of the embracing arms, then it began to spin slowly. Vaughn could now see that it was a larger version of the device that Gerard Cuvee had been using in Kashmir, complete with the use of nuclear cores to power it. He started to have a bad feeling about this. The device in Kashmir had been used to keep an orchid alive for centuries. What purpose could this one have? It was much too large for a single flower, large enough to contain a… person. Vaughn's mind reeled at the thought. It was impossible. Not even Rambaldi could do this.

The sphere spun faster and faster. A green light engulfed it, generated from the tops of the pylons that surrounded it. It sounded almost like the beating of a giant heart. The Covenant members present were clearly in awe of it, leaning forward eagerly to watch it work. The scientists stood at their terminals, manipulating the machine. Sark just stood there, his face expressionless. But later, Vaughn would have sworn that he saw a tear slide down Sark's cheek, or it may have just been the light.

Suddenly there was a flash of blinding white light. By the time Vaughn could see again, the sphere had settled back on its plinth. The sickly green glow was gone, and no liquid moved in the tubes. Everything was as it had been. For a moment, nothing happened, and Vaughn dared to think that it had not worked. Then a segment of the sphere cracked open, steam hissing out from within. Sark and two techs went over, prising it open further until Sark could see into the depths of the sphere.

He stood for a moment just gazing inside it, and then he gestured for Cole to come and join him. Cole glanced inside, and laughed.

"It worked! Olivia, come see!"

And she did. She staggered slightly when she gazed upon the contents, but she quickly caught herself.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Julian? Help the lady out." That was Cole again.

Sark reached into the sphere, extending his hand. Vaughn saw another hand appear and take it. Without much visible effort, Sark pulled the owner of the hand out. Before Vaughn could see clearly who it was, Cole and Olivia had blocked his view. Their voices overlapped so that he could not hear what they were saying. Cole sounded ecstatic as did Olivia. He did not think that whoever had been in that chamber had said anything. Sark sounded the same as ever.

And then they parted like the Red Sea, and he gazed upon the contents of the sphere. She leaned on Sark, as thought she had not quite remembered how to walk. Her skin was paler than usual, although it was already starting to return to its normal shade in places. Her hair was exactly as he remembered it, although it was plastered to her head. Her breathing was shaky but starting to return to normal. Her eyes were focussed on him.

There was a triumphant smirk on Sark's face, one mirrored on those of Cole and Olivia Reed. "Did I not tell you, Michael, that everything that you had done to stop us would be undone? Everything?"

Lauren stood before him, alive. His worst nightmare, the one that kept him from sleeping at night. He had seen this moment a hundred times before, the accusation in her eyes as she had died at the bottom of that pit now there in her living eyes as well.

Vaughn could not think. His mind went blank. Sark led Lauren past him and out of the lab, but the memory of her gaze remained with him until he was tossed back into his cell. As the guards left, one shouted back: "I would get some sleep if I were you. Your execution is at dawn." But sleep eluded Vaughn, and every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Lauren's accusing eyes staring into his very soul.

A/N: All of the history in here with the exception of the Covenant's role is correct. For those who are interested, the Sassanid Empire lasted from 225 AD to 657 AD. Shapur I was its second ruler.

Lauren's resurrection was always part of the plan, and the Rambaldi machine in question will be featured again. As Cole said, this was just a test. Next we will be visiting Sydney and seeing what Irina had to say. And it may not be what you think.

Just a little teaser for the next chapter: Sark levelled the gun at her head. "I have been waiting for this moment for three years."


	6. Chapter Five

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** Sydney and Vaughn head off to find Irina, but old enemies haunt their steps. Alternate Season 4.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment. 

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**Chapter Five**

Sydney Bristow's awakening was somewhat less pleasant than that of Michael Vaughn. She had been given a far more powerful drug and consequently needed a greater dose to counteract the effects. This resulted in her arriving at a state of consciousness at high speed. Needless to say, she was not in the mood for co-operation.

Across the way, she could see Vaughn, slumped in his shackles. A moment later, her attention was brought back to her own situation, when her cell door was opened, and her mother entered.

Sydney did not want to believe that her mother was responsible for their kidnapping, but until another explanation presented itself that was the assumption she had to operate under. After all, it was Sark who had captured them and her mother, Irina, she reminded herself, had broken Sark out of CIA custody. She had to be responsible.

On the other hand the handcuffs that her mother was wearing were a pretty convincing argument in the other direction.

This was Irina Derevko. Nothing could be taken at face value with her as painful experience dictated. Therefore, Sydney adopted an attitude of distrust mixed with a healthy dose of scepticism but still open to the possibility that she was wrong.

Her resolve to be detached was shaken when her mother opened her arms as far as she could and tried to embrace her. "Sydney, I am so sorry."

She pulled back. "Why should I believe a word you say? As far as I know, you are responsible for this."

Irina stepped away from her. "I would never do anything to hurt you Sydney. You know that."

"Then why don't you explain the intel we have? Why don't you explain Sark being rescued by a mercenary team days after you recruit mercenaries? Why were you meeting with a Covenant official?"

Irina rocked back visibly under the tirade. "You really think that I would release Sark? He hates me now, ever since I betrayed him for you. I would never do anything that would hurt you in any way, Sydney. But if you do not believe in my affection for you though, at least believe in my sense of self preservation. Sark would slip a knife into my back at the first chance he had."

Sydney deflated; the simple logic in her mother's voice cutting through the anger that had been building up. Yet there was still the intelligence that had sent them into the trap in the first place. Intelligence that could not easily be denied.

"What about your meetings with Covenant officials, including Gerard Cuvee? How would you explain those?"

"I cannot. I can tell you that the meetings did occur, but I have nothing to do with the Covenant. They requested the meetings."

There was a creak as the cell door opened behind Irina and the guards entered. Irina's shoulders slumped and she allowed them to lead her out. Across the way, Sydney could now see that Vaughn had company as well, in the form of Sark. Fortunately for Vaughn, he also appeared to be on the verge of leaving. Sydney could not hear what was being said, but when Sark stopped in the doorway, she guessed that Vaughn had hit a nerve. She would never know what Vaughn had said to Sark, but she saw Sark's chin come up, as though he had been struck, and saw the brief flicker of some unidentifiable emotion before the mask came up. She thought later, with the benefit of hindsight, that it might have been triumph.

Following Sark's departure, nothing of much interest occurred, excepting Vaughn's excursions from his cell in the company of two guards. The first time, he returned with the look of a man who had just been through a vicious beating. At Sydney's inquiring look, he had mouthed two words, which she thought had been "Olivia Reed". That would certainly have explained the damage; the woman had probably wanted revenge for her daughter. Sydney suspected that Sark might have had something to do with it as well. As bad as Vaughn had looked then, nothing could have prepared her for the Vaughn that was flung into his cell after the second trip. His physical state was the same as it had been, but he might as well have been catatonic. He would not respond to anything she tried in her increasingly desperate attempts to make contact.

Eventually she slumped in her chains and waited. And waited. Eventually, after an indefinite length of time, the guards came for the pair of them. They were dragged outside the complex, and chained to a wall. Sark and McKenas Cole were stood there already, and her mother was hanging from one set of chains. She regarded Cole with surprise. The last time she had seen him, he had been working for her mother, and in CIA custody. If he was working with Sark and Olivia Reed, he was definitely Covenant. Perhaps her mother had been telling the truth after all.

Cole stepped forward with that blasted smirk on his face. "You can relax pigtails. I know that might be difficult in your current… situation, but your execution ain't today. The big boss feels that it would be a salutary lesson for you to watch these two die. So, enjoy the show. I know I will."

He stepped back and rubbed his hands together. "Let us begin."

Cole gestured Sark forward, and handed him a pistol. "If you would like to do the honours Julian."

He accepted the gun gravely. "It would be a pleasure." He strolled along the wall, stopping at Irina. She stared at him, seemingly resigned to her fate.

Sark levelled the gun at her head. "I have been waiting for this moment for three years."

Irina shook her head. "Julian, don't do this."

"Why not? I would not have three years ago, but then you betrayed me to the CIA simply to set up Sloane. At that point, I decided, that at the first opportunity, I would kill you. Now I have that chance, and I do not intend to waste it." He cocked the gun.

Neither Sydney nor Vaughn could see the faces of the participants, but they could hear everything that was said.

Sark pressed the gun to Irina Derevko's temple. "Goodbye." He pulled the trigger.

The noise of a single shot filled the air. Irina's body slumped in the chains. Sark stepped back swiftly, trying to avoid getting any blood on his shoes.

He moved along to the next one in line – Vaughn. Leaning in close, he whispered something in Vaughn's ear. Whatever it was, Vaughn threw himself forward in his chains in a futile effort to reach Sark, who merely smirked.

"In any case Mr. Vaughn, I find myself in the disappointing position that whatever I do to you, it will never be enough. Nothing I could possibly do to you would even begin to cover what you deserve. Therefore a swift execution has as much merit as anything. Sadly, the one who should be pulling the trigger is not currently capable of it. But I am more than capable of doing it for her. Goodbye, Mr. Vaughn."

Sark raised his gun to Vaughn's temple. His finger tightened on the trigger…

A/N: Apologies for the delay, but I found parts of this chapter very tricky to make them read how I wanted them to. I hope that the next chapter will be quicker, but I'm not going to make any promises. No spoilers this time, but as my wonderful beta said, it was nice knowing Vaughn. Enjoy.


	7. Chapter Six

**Covenant's Fall**

**Summary:** Sydney and Vaughn head off to find Irina, but old enemies haunt their steps. Alternate Season 4.

**Rating:** PG-13 at the moment.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything included in this story except the occasional concept.

**Chapter Six**

Before Sark could fire, a bullet slapped the gun from his hand. Instantly, Sark leaped back into cover, followed swiftly by the other Covenant members. Cole and Olivia Reed dived through the door, back into the facility. Sark lingered for a moment, his gaze moving from his dropped pistol to Vaughn's face and back again.

"This is but a stay of execution, Mr. Vaughn. I will see you again, very soon." With these parting words, Sark followed his confederates. The remaining guards glanced at each other, obviously unsure of what to do. Their dilemma was resolved speedily when a hail of gunfire dropped them.

To Sydney's shock and joy, her father appeared from the undergrowth, flanked by a pair of agents. "Dad!" She shouted.

"Sydney!" Jack Bristow hurried over to where his daughter hung and swiftly cut her down. Then he saw the remains of Irina Derevko. He stopped, shock covering his face for a moment before the normal inscrutable mask dropped into place.

"It was Sark." Both their heads turned at the sound of Vaughn's voice. He too was free, supported by the agents, looking far more drained than anyone had ever seen him. "Sark shot her just before you arrived."

Jack shook his head, as if clearing it of unwelcome thoughts. "Sydney, we have to go now. There are not enough of us to ensure a successful outcome if we stay here." He gestured the two agents with Vaughn to take him into the undergrowth from whence they had emerged.

Before Sydney could protest, more Covenant troops appeared in the doorway, already bringing their weapons to bear. She dived for cover, a hail of bullets slamming into the wall she had been standing in front of. One of the CIA agents dropped, his body shaking with the impacts.

Realising that to stay there was to court almost certain death, she scurried after her father. Before the Covenant forces could fully bring their guns to bear on the fugitives, they had disappeared into the trees.

A helicopter waited far enough back from the base to remain undetected. Now that all were assembled, Sydney could see that there were only five agents. Her father, Weiss, the two carrying Vaughn, and the one lying dead outside the Covenant base. No wonder that they were not staying to fight.

As they loaded Vaughn in the helicopter, he was trying to say something. Sydney hushed him, and pressed an oxygen mask over his face. "It can wait."

He forced the oxygen mask away. "No it can't. She's alive."

He coughed, blood spattering his lips, but pushed the words out, confessing his sins to her. "Lauren is alive."

Then he slumped into merciful unconsciousness.

Covenant Base:

The passages were in uproar, personnel dashing hither and thither as they rushed to remove all equipment and signs of their presence before the arrival of the CIA. Sark strode through the halls, making for a particular room.

As he went, he wove his way through a mix of scientists, security, agents like himself and any number of other people, all hurrying to escape. Sark, by contrast, took his time, slipping through the crowd as if it was not there.

Soon, he reached his destination – a simple room, separated only from those that surrounded it by that which it contained. Unlocking the door, he knocked, waited for the soft reply, and entered.

This was Lauren's room. She sat in a chair, staring out of the window, seemingly just enjoying the experience of being alive. He had waited with her through the night, waited as the memories returned, clasping her hand in his as she relieved the memory of her death. Small wonder that he had been in a vindictive mood that morning. Death was too good for Vaughn; he deserved to _suffer_ for what he did.

He cleared his throat. "They escaped." A word that gave him a bitter taste in his mouth. He had the greatest regard for the skills of the CIA, and enjoyed his battle of wits with them, but he had wanted Vaughn dead, once and for all.

Lauren had still not shown any sign of noticing his presence, beyond the reply to his knock.

He shrugged, and turned to go. Stopped at the sound of her voice.

"Good."

Sark turned back to her, one eyebrow raised.

"I want to do it."

Lauren stood carefully, using the chair to support herself.

"I want to do it." She repeated, her voice growing stronger.

Sark nodded. "And you shall. So you shall."

Another knock sounded at the door. A Covenant guard stood there, face hidden behind the stylised mask worn by the elite guards. Another relic of the Covenant's ancient past. "Sir, the helicopter is ready. I was ordered to escort the pair of you there."

Sark nodded. "Well then, we had better be on our way."

He helped Lauren to the door, noticing as he did so that the guard had looked away – the elite guard had their own code of honour. In any case, Sark appreciated it. Lauren always hated showing weakness to anyone. That her muscles had atrophied slightly from the time in the CIA facility did not seem to have occurred to her.

As they left the room, four normal guards joined them, two ahead, two behind, forcing a path through the mob that still cluttered the passages. Lauren leaned on him for the entire journey, although her strength seemed to be returning. At the end, she was able to enter the helicopter without any help. They were the only ones in the vehicle, Olivia Reed and McKenas Cole having left separately earlier. The other Covenant personnel were evacuating by road.

Lauren stared out of the window, seemingly enthralled by the landscape passing by beneath her. Sark watched her, enjoying the mere ability to see her again. A feeling of triumph stole over him as he did so, overcoming his disappointment at failing to kill Vaughn. There would be other chances.

Somewhere over Western Europe:

McKenas Cole sat back in his seat, and sighed. The communication that he had just completed with the Covenant's leader had left him feeling tired. His boss had been upset about the escape of Sydney Bristow, and the success of Il Rinato had not entirely mollified him. More to the point, the boss had feared that the CIA might now learn too much. It was time to move on to the next stage.

He reached for his phone again, calling various Covenant cell leaders to put into place plans and contingencies. The last number he had to call caused him to falter. Once he did this, there was no turning back. The Covenant would be committed and he with it. He would either ascend with the Covenant, or fall with it.

He sighed again, and dialled. The phone rang twice before the other man answered.

"Yes?"

Cole was surprised at the steadiness of his voice. "It is time. Initiate Requiem."


End file.
